Hourglass
by Dread Pirate Rinja
Summary: The sense of urgency hadn’t quite been so strong until Miroku’s life sorely depended on it. With Naraku evading them at every step, they’re quickly running out of time. Manga-divergent timeline. Hiatus, possibly discontinued.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: InuYasha and affiliated characters and settings are the creative property of Rumiko Takahashi and all conglomerates holding the license to its distribution. Used without permission at no profit to this poor, humble authoress who likes to tor—err, write about the series. _

_The dialogue in the prologue is directly lifted from Kuro-sama's translation of the manga (chapter 448), which is posted her website, ear-tweak(dot)com. I take no credit for the creation or translation of those two brief segments. _

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Warnings: Major manga spoilers, über-angst, lots of… uh… not fun-ness. _

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Hourglass**  
by BakaBokken

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**Prologue **

_ "If he'd closed the kazaana just a bit later… the wounds would have gone into his heart, and likely cost the Houshi-dono his life." _

He could hardly hear with all the blood in his ears, but he thought it might have been Kikyou speaking. The warm, sticky wetness of blood coating his body and mouth made him feel ill; or perhaps it was just the deadly dose of Naraku's poisonous shouki he'd imbibed moments – or was it hours? – before. All he was aware of was his own labored breathing, the blood, muffled voices, extreme pain, and the fact that his back was propped up against a strong chest. For a fleeting moment, he hoped it was Sango's, but realized that a rather decidedly feminine trait was missing from the picture.

_ "I'll purify them." _

It must have been Kikyou speaking; the voice was too low to be Kagome's, and those two were the only women he knew of that had holy powers, with the exception of Kaede – who decidedly wasn't nearby. He tried to pull through and stay conscious, but when strong arms lifted him off the rocky ground, the movement brought the dizziness and pain that finally drove him into the dark.

He drifted in the quiet, excruciating dark forever, it seemed, though his internal clock told him it was only a few days. Sometimes he thought he felt ice cold hands on his chest, bringing a burning surface pain that somehow brought steady relief to the deep ache from within. Other times, he thought he saw his father's hand, pulling him towards the wrong end of the dark, but away from the agony he was sure awaited him if he went back. For a while, he even thought he had actually been consumed by the kazaana, and that he would drift like this eternally.

When a less-painful reality finally came slowly back to him, he remembered it all. As he faced the grave expression on Kikyou's face, saw Sango and her brother asleep in the corner of the small hut, he realized, even as the familiar pain pricked along the route of wounds that – on the surface, at least – had been healed. No, he hadn't simply realized it. He already _knew_.

And Sango must never know.

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_**.end prologue.**_

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_The plot bunnies and muse made me post it, I swear! -ducks rotten vegetables- _

_As far as I'm concerned, this kills two birds with one stone. I needed a less-plotsy story for InuYasha than "Hellbound," and I wanted it to be Miroku-centric. Tada! -isshot- This is a continuation and/or divergence off some of the more current chapters of the manga (which was up to 450 as of the week this was written). Translation: this story will be SPOILER-HEAVY. And angsty. _

_Comments, as always, are greatly appreciated. _


	2. Chapter 1

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_

_Disclaimer: InuYasha and affiliated characters and settings are the creative property of Rumiko Takahashi and all conglomerates holding the license to its distribution. Used without permission at no profit to this poor, humble authoress who likes to tor—err, write about the series. _

_ Pieces of the dialogue in this chapter have been directly lifted from Kuro-sama's translation of the manga (chapters 448-450), which is posted her website, ear-tweak(dot)com. I take no credit for the creation or translation of those portions of the dialogue. _

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Warnings: **Major** manga spoilers (turn back now if you don't want to find out what's been going on lately in the manga!), über-angst, lots of… uh… not fun-ness. _

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**Chapter 1**

"Houshi-sama, are you absolutely _sure_ you feel well enough to be traveling? Your hands are shaking."

Miroku blinked stupidly for a moment as Sango craned her neck to the side to peer at him from in front, a concerned frown marring her perfect brow with a crease just in the middle. He found the expression rather endearing, except for the fact that he knew she was worrying… for his sake. That didn't settle well with him at all.

"Houshi-sama…? Are you alright?"

When her frown deepened, he realized that she was expecting an answer. _Damn_, he must not be feeling too well if he let himself get distracted so easily. Well, he had nearly slept the previous day away, and he felt like his body weighed about three times the amount it should even after that. He probably was traveling too soon after the _incident_, as he was now calling it in his mind, but he couldn't slow the group down.

_Answer. Right._ "I'm sorry, Sango," he said with a somber face. "It's so like me that about this time…" He leaned in closer to her back, taking advantage of his position behind her on the cat demon Kirara's back, and offered her bottom a reassuring rub as he continued, "I'm still not at my best."

She stiffened and whipped her head back around, a rather peevish look marring her features. "Right," she growled.

_Mission__ accomplished_, Miroku told himself with a smug grin.

"That's good," he heard Shippou note from a few feet to the side. The kitsune-youkai was riding atop the wolf-youkai Kouga's shoulder as they traveled together, hunting for Naraku. "It looks like he's feeling better."

"… Is that okay?" Kouga asked skeptically, frowning at the houshi.

Miroku held back the smirk; the wolf clearly didn't travel with them often enough – or for long enough, due to his rivalry with InuYasha – for him to pick up on Miroku's antics. But before the thought could entertain him much longer, Miroku's thoughts were interrupted as InuYasha suddenly reported loudly from ahead.

"The scent is getting stronger!" the hanyou exclaimed. "It's close!"

InuYasha had deposited Kagome on the ground beside him – she had been riding on his back to expedite their race after the weakened Naraku – and stood before the outskirts of a forest, staring suspiciously into the green of the tree cluster. Suddenly, two bright lights streaked out of the trees, and headed straight for the pair. Kagome ducked behind InuYasha reflexively as he drew his sword, the Tessaiga, which immediately enlarged into its battle form. With a roar, InuYasha cut down the attacking lights; at a closer glance, they looked almost like spines from a porcupine, but with faces and minds of their own. The spine-beasts fell in pieces, their torn bodies emitting rather noxious jyaki as they slowly dissipated.

Sango approached with a scowl. "These are…"

"Do you know what they are, Sango-chan?" Kagome asked, looking over her shoulder at the taijiya with interest.

"This isn't the actual body," Sango said. "These are quills."

"Quills?" InuYasha turned this time, with a surprised look.

Before Sango could explain, the ground suddenly began shaking beneath them, the trees in the forest trembling with the sheer force of whatever was approaching them. Miroku had a strong suspicion that whatever was headed in their direction was big, and it was responsible for these quills that Sango had mentioned. It didn't sound like a creature he particularly wanted to battle against, and was grateful that InuYasha was in the frontline on this battle. From the forest, a large, spine-covered beast emerged, a horn-like appendage protruding from its forehead much like a unicorn's horn. It didn't look too happy, from what Miroku could tell of its menacingly glowing eyes and deep-throated growl.

"Wha…?" Kagome took a step back, startled by the beast.

InuYasha mirrored her step, but in the opposite direction. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "It's got a Kongousouha spear in its head…"

So that was the horn – but how did it manage to get one of the diamonds from InuYasha's attacks? Everyone seemed uneasy about this beast, and it seemed to sense their unrest at its appearance as it approached cautiously.

"It's a _yama-arashi_ youkai," Sango reported suddenly. "It sends off those quills on its back to attack."

_I think we've figured that out now_, Miroku noted as he looked down at the first quills that InuYasha had cut down before. _Let's hope that this thing isn't going to cause us too much trouble for now…_

Suddenly, InuYasha retreated a step with a shocked expression. He clearly wasn't pleased by whatever he'd just discovered.

"The Kongousouha spear that Naraku struck it with killed it," he announced warily. "Damn thing is being controlled by Naraku's shouki."

Kagome quietly squeaked in surprise; she too was troubled by the discovery. But at least that meant they weren't too far from Naraku, Miroku hoped.

"Each quill on its back is independent," Sango noted, her frown deepening as she spoke. "It's likely these things are spreading shouki."

As if in response to Sango's statement, the quills on the yama-arashi's back began to pulse, the purple, gaseous shouki swirling about the long shafts serenely just before they launched from the youkai's back and charged after the onlookers.

Shippou moaned nervously from Kouga's shoulder, gripping his perch tighter as he tried to inch his way behind the youkai's head. "A… a huge group of them!" he stuttered nervously.

Kouga simply wrinkled his nose at the approaching beasts, ignoring Shippou. "So much jyaki," he said lowly, clearly displeased as he readied himself to fight.

InuYasha pushed Kagome further behind him, placing himself between the schoolgirl and the attacking spines. "Get back, Kagome! If humans got soaked in that, they'd be helpless!" he exclaimed over his shoulder with a concerned scowl.

Whirling to face the youkai and its spines, he raised the Tessaiga high over his head and brought it down with a confident roar of "_Kaze no Kizu!_" The bright streaks of light easily shredded their enemies into pieces, and the beast burst into a bright display of purple shouki and blue glittering dust.

"He did it!" Shippou cried with wide eyes.

However, the danger was far from gone; as everyone looked up, there were at least several dozen more of the quills floating about in the air, regarding the group with seemingly hostile stares. Apparently, the yami-arashi that InuYasha had killed wasn't the only one nearby. From the looks of it, Miroku determined there were a lot more. InuYasha wouldn't be able to handle them all by himself.

"Dammit, more of them spilled out," InuYasha growled, seeming to come to the same conclusion with an annoyed glare.

"Let's split up and go after them!" Miroku proposed, but didn't bother to wait for InuYasha's consent before he turned on his heels to head the other direction. "Let's go, Sango!"

"Ah… right!" she nodded; she agreed with his course of action, also understanding that they would be more effective taking the large number of yama-arashi down on multiple fronts.

"Hey, Miroku!" InuYasha yelled at the monk's back. "Don't push yourself too hard!"

Miroku stopped for a moment with a startled expression. _Does he…?_ "Right…" he agreed after a moment with a curt nod, not taking time to ponder if the hanyou truly _knew_.

He had plenty of time to think of it while he rejoined Sango on Kirara's back, and rode across the forest line looking for signs of more yama-arashi that might be hanging around. They had been so close to killing Naraku this time; after the battle between Mouryoumaru – the armored being that had become a residence for the baby, Naraku's heart – and Naraku, the hanyou had craftily won over both his other selves. After a brief scuffle between InuYasha, Kouga, and Naraku that left the evil hanyou vulnerable, Miroku knew he had his chance – he would destroy Naraku with the kazaana while he was weakened. With a whirl of beads and a warning shout to his friends, Miroku had opened the kazaana and aimed it in Naraku's – and the baby's – direction.

Naraku had simply smirked just before shouki poured from his body, following him into the void of the kazaana in Miroku's hand. Gritting his teeth and bearing the inevitable pain that the shouki poisoning would cause, Miroku held his position, knowing quite well that he would die. But as long as Naraku died with him, he determined that he was willing to make the sacrifice.

However, when Miroku had begun to bleed badly from the heavy shouki poisoning, his friends had called out in alarm. Naraku snarled, finally realizing what the monk was aiming for – the exposed baby – and only increased the amount of shouki he released. He fully intended to kill Miroku before he was pulled into the curse of his own making. When Miroku faltered and began to collapse, InuYasha had been the one to catch him, pulling the rosary beads back around the kazaana to cut off its flow. Naraku sneered, mocking InuYasha as he reminded the group that they had missed perhaps the closest chance they'd had at destroying him. He disappeared soon after, leaving the group to surround the badly bleeding monk propped up against InuYasha.

The shouki had not only poisoned Miroku, they soon realized with horror; it had inflicted severe wounds that began at the kazaana in his hand, and trailed all the way to his chest, ending very near his heart. Fortunately, Kikyou had been there to help purify the shouki and heal the wounds, but it had taken her three days to do so while the monk lay in a comatose state.

And unbeknownst to everyone else, Kikyou hadn't been able to heal the internal wounds. Only Miroku knew; upon waking, Kikyou had explained the situation to him, and he had begged the miko not to tell anyone else about the wounds that remained. He didn't want his friends to see him as a burden, nor did he want Sango to worry so much over him. Kikyou had agreed, but warned him to avoid using the kazaana, as it would only cause the internal wounds to deepen and reach his heart, and would ultimately kill him.

Miroku knew his days were numbered, but he wanted to make sure that his death wouldn't be in vain. He would use the remaining strength of the kazaana to help defeat Naraku in any way possible. Clutching his hand tightly, he determined that if necessary, he would even use it in their current battle, if it meant that he could protect those he held dear.

"Houshi-sama, that's…!" Sango suddenly exclaimed, bringing Miroku's thoughts back to the present. Looking ahead, Miroku saw what the taijiya referred to; a large cluster of quills were bursting out of a clump of trees in front of them, swirling about the air.

"What's that swarm of…"

"There's something other than that yama-arashi!" Sango interrupted.

The quills seemed to notice the pair as they came closer. Sango pulled her anti-poison mask over her nose and lips as she prepared for battle.

"Hold on tight, Houshi-sama," she instructed as she hefted the heavy boomerang from her shoulder and threw it with ease at the swarm. "_Hiraikotsu!_"

Though her aim was accurate, she could only kill so many of the quills with one throw of the weapon. Determined not to be useless in the battle, Miroku pulled out a number of wards and threw them, channeling his spiritual energy into the inked papers as they struck and obliterated the quills, shattering them into thousands of sparkling pieces. There seemed to be no end to the spines, and after battling them for several moments longer, Sango growled in aggravation.

"There has to be something else behind all these quills!" she muttered angrily.

Miroku grunted an affirmative as his eyes scanned for something more, but all they could see were more spines. They truly were endless; whatever was sending this batch out had to be enormous, or insanely powerful, he realized with dread. While Sango cleared another path through the spines with the Hiraikotsu, Miroku followed with another round of charms, the resulting explosion of youkai bodies creating a large, sparkling dust cloud over the trees. In the haze of the settling dust, both taijiya and houshi caught sight of the outline of a rather large beast… or rather, two beasts, they realized as the dust cleared further. Yama-arashi.

"There actually were more of them!" Miroku noted, confirming their earlier suspicions.

Bringing the Hiraikotsu into a ready position, Sango pulled herself up in front of the monk and shouted, "I'll take care of these two!"

With a single toss, Sango felled both yama-arashi. However, several dozen streaks of light shot into the air, fleeing from the dissolving bodies of the youkai they had been attached to.

"The quills are getting away!" Sango cried.

Miroku swore lightly under his breath. If the spines got away, they would interfere with their companions' battles, which could prove fatal for them. He didn't have a choice; he reached for the beads surrounding his right wrist.

"Houshi-sama?"

He knew she was worried, and Kikyou's warning briefly flitted to the forefront of his mind. Gritting his teeth, he decided that he would take the risk; these quills probably wouldn't be as harmful to his wounds as the yama-arashi most certainly were. Opening the kazaana, he grunted as the spines were sucked into the void, sending painful ripples along his nerves.

_It hurts a bit… but I'm alright! _he realized after a moment.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango called worriedly. "You still can't overdo it!"

Miroku winced as he closed the kazaana, remembering that she was still watching him. He hadn't meant to get carried away, though the spines did appear to no longer be a threat. Sango shot him a warning glare as she joined him, to which he simply offered a sheepish smile in reply. The pair approached the remains of the yama-arashi cautiously, making sure they weren't going to rise from their current deathbeds to attack them again. As they inspected the corpses from a safe distance, a thought occurred to Miroku as he recalled the recent battle between first Mouryoumaru, then Naraku and InuYasha.

"These yama-arashi… there might be a group of them," he said quietly.

"A group?"

"If you consider that in battle, there were Kongousouha spears thrown about, and a band of yama-arashi on the ground below got showered with them," Miroku explained. "It would explain the number of them."

The taijiya looked slightly troubled at the news. "Meaning… there might be even more of them…?" she asked, concern evident in her tone.

"Yes," Miroku affirmed, glancing about for signs of more of the yama-arashi. "We should go look for them."

"Houshi-sama," Sango suddenly said in a voice that Miroku couldn't decide was hesitant, or very upset. "Promise me! Promise that you won't use the kazaana!"

He blanched. Did she know? How did she find out? … Was he that transparent? Quickly trying to regain his composure, he cautiously asked, "… Why not?"

She bit her lip and blushed lightly before she replied, "Well, you just healed, you know. You're still not fully recovered, right?"

The monk breathed a sigh of relief. So she didn't know. "Yes," he confirmed.

Soon, they were again riding on Kirara's strong back, wind whipping at their hair and faces once more as they searched about for signs of more quills. It didn't take long to find more; they were practically everywhere, after all. With a determined frown, Miroku prepared to unleash the kazaana, deciding that the yama-arashi quills didn't have enough youki to disturb the kazaana. Briefly, he looked down at his hand as he grasped the beads between two fingers, but as he began to unhook the beads from his wrist, he froze, and stared back down at his hand, thick bile finding its way back up his throat.

There, beneath the cloth guard that covered the gaping maw of the kazaana, were the sickly-looking wounds, extending from the center of his palm. This time he felt the color drain from his face.

Sango, however, hadn't noticed his sudden hesitation. "There!" she exclaimed, looking off to the side at a cliff face. Another clump of spines floated just off the rocky outcropping of the cliff, where Sango had indicated with her sharp gaze.

Kirara charged after the quills along the face of the cliff, her master readying the Hiraikotsu for another quick extermination. However, as the boomerang cut through the fleeing youkai, the cliff next to them seemed to explode, raining rocks on the pair. The dust cleared to reveal yet another yama-arashi… a really large one, this time, Miroku noted worriedly. The falling rocks knocked Hiraikotsu's return off its designated path, distracting Kirara enough that she too was caught in the rock avalanche. Sango and Miroku fell with the cat-youkai, and the two found themselves buried in a shallow blanket of rock debris from the cliff.

Coughing to clear dust from his lungs, Miroku stood, relieved to find rocks rolling off his back easily and allowing him to surface from the mountain of boulders. Testing his limbs, he found that he'd only sustained a few bruises, but otherwise was fine. But when he didn't immediately spot Sango, he began to panic, until she too emerged from the rock pile, coughing.

"Sango, are you okay?" he nearly shouted, rushing over to her side.

"Yeah, I am…" she began, and then he noticed that she was holding a small bundle close to her chest. "But Kirara is…"

She trailed off when they both saw the two enormous yama-arashi approaching from opposite sides. Miroku wanted to scream; their exit routes had been cut off, Sango was weaponless, and Kirara was injured and had reverted back to her smaller form.

"We're surrounded," he said lamely, moving back-to-back with Sango.

She grunted, gripping the hilt of the sword at her belt. "Looks like we don't have a choice," she sighed as she drew the weapon from its sheath.

The giant yama-arashi shot the quills at the pair, and it took much of their energy to fend off so many with just a sword and Miroku's limited supply of charms. The monk knew they had to do something quickly, or he would run out of wards and Sango's katana would become inefficient against so many quills. Sango, apparently, was thinking the same thing, for she suddenly began eyeing her fallen Hiraikotsu…

…which sat behind the mountain of a yama-arashi blocking the path to it.

Miroku caught the movement out of the corner of his vision. "Sango?" he exclaimed as he saw what she was preparing to do. "Don't—!"

But she was already running straight at the yama-arashi, and it wasn't about to let her pass it so easily.

"Sango!"

With a swipe of its head, the yama-arashi caught Sango with the Kongousouha spear protruding from its forehead, effortlessly tossing her into the cliff face. With a sharp cry at the impact against the cliff, Sango crumpled to the pile of rock debris on the ground and didn't move from there.

"Sango!" Miroku shouted again, instinctively grabbing for the beads on his wrist. Kikyou's voice spoke in his mind once more, warning him that if he used the kazaana again, he would surely— "_Shut up!_" he yelled aloud, yanking the string of beads from his wrist with a determined snarl etched into his features. "Kazaana!"

The first yama-arashi screeched as it was pulled into the void, its impact sending a harsh jolt through Miroku's already-sore arm. He grimaced, bracing himself to pull the second one in. However, the second beast was a little more stubborn – it hunched low and tried to avoid the vacuum of the kazaana. As it began to draw closer to Miroku, it too began to screech despairingly, struggling and tearing up the ground around it. Even the rocks that flew into the kazaana caused the monk pain, he realized with growing dread.

"Houshi-sama, _no!_" he heard a loud scream from the cliff. He turned his head to the side and saw Sango struggling to stand, stark horror shining in her wide eyes. With a wince, he moved to wrap the beads around the kazaana.

Too late – the grip that the yama-arashi held on the ground had finally given in, and it screamed furiously as it was dragged into the hungry mouth of the kazaana. The resulting backlash of shouki from the yama-arashi stabbed through the wind tunnel, forcing an agonized cry from the monk. The world whirled on its ends, and he tasted blood on his lips and in his throat as he felt himself lose to gravity.

"_Houshi-sama!_" he heard Sango shriek from a very long distance.

Strong arms caught him, and everything turned black.

_"Damn it, Miroku! You promised!"_

_I… I'm so sorry…_Then he knew no more.

* * *

"I thought Kikyou said she'd healed him! She said he was fine!" 

The conversation that had been hazy in his mind, suddenly became clearer as reality slowly trickled back. Actually, it was hard _not_ to hear the hanyou on one of his rather noisy rants. While Miroku became more aware, he noted that he was lying on a mat, and his head was propped up on a stiff makura. As he realized he could feel his body, he was relieved to find that he was still alive… only to regret that fact immediately as the intense pain sank in. Crackling warmth heated his face; there was a fire nearby, and from the sound of the popping timber, he determined that they had to be in a hut. Which only led him to one troubling question… how long had he been unconscious?

"Kikyou did tell him to take it easy," Kagome's soft voice commented, "and he certainly overdid it by using the kazaana so soon after…"

"Please, don't say it," Sango's anguished voice cut her off. She sounded so shaken that Miroku felt a pang of guilt at her deep concern.

"He should have been resting, not fighting," Kagome continued. "We shouldn't have pushed him to his feet so quickly."

"It's my fault," Sango whispered. "If I hadn't lost the Hiraikotsu…"

By that point, Miroku had had just enough. "S-Sango," he managed to croak out. "Don't."

"Houshi-sama!" she exclaimed, and suddenly he felt four familiar presences hovering over him. He wanted to open his eyes, but he hurt too much to do so. In fact, even just breathing was painful, and he had a horrible taste in his mouth that was making him feel ill.

"By damn, he lives!" exclaimed an equally obnoxious voice. Kouga still was around, Miroku determined wryly, trying to distract himself from the agony that tore at his insides.

"Shut up, stupid wolf," InuYasha growled. "You're hurting his ears."

"You're just as loud as I am, dog-shit," Kouga retorted haughtily.

"Why you—!"

"You two, cut it out!" Kagome admonished angrily. "Now isn't the time to be petty!"

Miroku tried to offer a grin, but it turned into a grimace as he realized that he hurt far more than he should. His stomach roiled, and the bile climbing up his throat wasn't helping that fact at all. No, that wasn't bile… it had too coppery a taste for it to be that, he realized with grim horror.

"Houshi-sama?" Sango asked hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

Of course he wasn't alright, but he managed to force a smile anyway. Anything for her.

"I… Just give me a few days… and I'll be fine," he managed. His gut twisted viciously at the attempt to speak.

"Uh… I think he's turning green…" Shippou squeaked uncertainly from above his head.

"Shit!" both the wolf and hanyou exclaimed at the same time.

Strong hands quickly helped Miroku roll to his side, and as the lip of a container was pressed against his cheek, he retched, grimacing as the uncomfortable sensation clenched at his gut. When the convulsions subsided and his stomach decided to calm down some, he realized that the room was far too silent. Forcing his eyes open, he blearily could make out several figures in the dim lighting, but none of them were moving.

"Damn it, bouzu," the hanyou breathed. "That's… that's a lot of blood."

Miroku shifted uncomfortably as he felt several sets of eyes on him. "I—I think… the yama-arashi had more shouki… than I thought they would," he said quietly, forcing a wry grin.

The tension seemed to lift, at least for the moment. Inwardly, Miroku felt relieved. He really didn't intend to have everyone else worry about him so much.

"You're going back to Kaede's," InuYasha stated suddenly.

Miroku's attention snapped to the blurred image of the silver-haired boy, eyes wide with shock.

"He's not in any condition to travel right now, InuYasha!" Kagome exclaimed in a high voice.

"Well, then we'll wait a few days until he can make the trip, _then_ he's going back to the old hag's village," the hanyou corrected. "But at any rate, he won't be in any condition to fight."

"Just… give me a few days, and—" Miroku began, but Sango interrupted him.

"InuYasha is right. We need to get him back where it's safe; keeping him in danger like this is only going to get him killed."

Miroku started to protest, but he realized that everyone seemed to agree with Sango and InuYasha, so he sighed in resignation.

"Looks like I don't have much of a say in the matter, do I?" he asked good-naturedly.

"You don't, really," Kagome replied, keeping up the game with her own light tone. More seriously, she added, "But you really should get more rest, Miroku-sama. You've lost an awful lot of blood."

"Yes, ma'am," he murmured. He'd already been feeling the exhaustion creeping up on him in just the short amount of time he was awake, so he allowed his eyes to close, trying to ignore the ache with every breath he drew.

A gentle hand brushed sweat-matted bangs from his forehead. "Sleep, Houshi-sama," Sango whispered. And he did.

* * *

Miroku slept for two days straight, in fact. When he finally awoke, he knew he'd needed the rest badly; the ache had lessened, and he no longer felt the need to retch at every small movement he made. It wasn't long before he was being fed a thin broth and tea, and not much longer after that when the hanyou insisted that they be on their way. Sango had initially protested, but InuYasha had stood by his decision, saying that he'd "carry the damn monk himself." 

And so now Miroku found himself in the most awkward position of riding piggy-back with InuYasha, wind rushing across his face and into his hair as the hanyou gracefully ran back towards the village where the elderly miko Kaede lived, followed closely by Sango and Kagome riding on the now-healed Kirara's back, and Shippou hitching a ride with Kouga. The hanyou had been especially quiet through most of the journey, though Miroku hadn't minded too much, as he was in no great mood to be chatty, either. It didn't mean that InuYasha wasn't brooding, though; and Miroku knew for a fact that his friend was. When InuYasha finally did speak, it only confirmed his suspicions. InuYasha knew, or had figured it out.

"Oi, bouzu," InuYasha started, but then hesitated before he asked, "There's something you and Kikyou are hiding from us, isn't there?"

Miroku grunted. "You're perceptive, InuYasha."

"No, Kikyou just isn't always the best liar," InuYasha replied easily. "I could see in her eyes and the way she paused when she talked to me that she was hiding something."

"I see…"

"Those wounds… she couldn't heal them completely, could she?"

This time, Miroku sighed. There wasn't any point in keeping it from InuYasha, now that he knew something was up. "No, she couldn't, not without the risk of being drawn into the kazaana."

That answer didn't please InuYasha; he'd clearly caught the entire meaning behind Miroku's statement as his back stiffened a bit. "Damn it, you stupid monk," he chided, though the insult didn't have much of an edge. "I wish you would have at least said _something_. You were never in any condition to go into that fight with the yama-arashi, and yet you did it anyway. Do you really understand what it would do to Sango if you were killed?"

The question was like a slap to his face, and he flinched. "Yes, I have thought of it…" he said hesitantly. "But I couldn't stand by and let her be killed by that beast, either. I'm sure you can understand that, InuYasha."

When he heard a series of disgruntled grumbles, he knew he'd struck a chord with his friend. He allowed himself a small grin.

"Can you promise me one thing?" Miroku asked after a moment.

InuYasha snorted. "Sure, but it better not be dirty."

Miroku couldn't help it; he laughed outright at the answer. "No, it's not dirty," he said, sobering. "Could you please not tell Sango about this?"

"That isn't fair to her."

"Please, InuYasha. I don't… I've already chosen my fate, and I don't want her to be… I don't want her to worry about me," he pleaded.

The hanyou half-sighed, half-growled. "Fine, but you know she's going to worry about you anyway."

Miroku half-smiled. "I know."

And after that, they continued on in silence. Miroku wasn't feeling too well anyway, but he knew they weren't too far now from the village. By the time Kaede's hut was in sight, though, he was more than ready to rest. Even though he hadn't physically done anything, he felt horribly exhausted and sore. InuYasha seemed to pick up on his sentiment, and picked up speed.

Kaede quickly ushered everyone inside, preparing a pallet for Miroku as quickly as her old body would allow. InuYasha gently lowered the monk to the mat, frowning as he saw sweat beading on Miroku's forehead. The elderly miko was immediately giving instructions, preparing to care for the light fever that Miroku had had since he'd collapsed after drawing in the yama-arashi. She looked down at the wrappings covering the kazaana on the young man's right hand, and even as she began to frown about it, she caught Miroku's intense gaze.

_No_, he mouthed, shaking his head lightly.

Kaede simply raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask about it at that moment. Miroku knew she would be waiting for the others to be away before she said anything, for which he was grateful, but he knew – the guilt beast in his mind jeered – he would have to tell her the whole story. He wasn't looking forward to it, but it was necessary.

However, he couldn't control the fact that Kaede already had figured out what was going on. She could tell by the worried manner in which the small band regarded their ill friend, the wounds near the monk's kazaana, the dead, resigned look in the monk's eyes…

Miroku was dying.

* * *

**_.end chapter 1._**

* * *

Bouzu – a degrading term for a low-level monk (what InuYasha calls Miroku in the Japanese version)  
Hanyou – half-youkai  
Houshi – a low-level monk (another common title for Miroku in the Japanese)  
Makura – a bean- or straw-filled traditional Japanese pillow  
Miko – a shrine maiden, or a priestess  
Taijiya – youkai exterminator (Sango's title in the Japanese)  
Youkai – a demon/ogre/beast/monster… take your pick 

_Let me know if anything is unclear.  
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* * *

I have to apologize. The first three quarters of this is really a retelling of the three most recent manga chapters. I reaaaaally hadn't wanted to do that, but I realized (after reading through the reviews - thank you so much, you guys!) that most of you guys haven't read the most recent chapters. I wanted to make sure the setting for this story was clear before I kept going with it. And it's the main reason why I really am not pleased with this chapter, either. I feel like I'm cheating.  
_

_If you're up to current chapters on the manga, I apologize if this chapter was mostly boring for you. If you haven't been reading the manga, and you're wondering what's going on, hopefully this chapter had a few answers for you. It was manga-recap up until Miroku yells at Sango when she runs to retrieve her Hiraikotsu. A lot of the dialogue is from the manga up to that point, too. -hangs head in shame-_

_This is now officially a divergence fic, since I have made up my own ending to the cliffhanger at the end of chapter 450. Hehe. _

_Sorry for the ramble. Comments are always wonderful _


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: InuYasha is the creative property of Rumiko Takahashi. Not mine._

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_Thank you to Varethane for beta reading this chapter for me._

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**Chapter 2**

InuYasha paced impatiently outside the hut, completely lost in his own thoughts. Kagome had tried to speak with him at one point, but he hadn't even bothered to acknowledge her, which surprised her greatly. She knew he was troubled about something, and that it had to do with Miroku's condition. The monk's wounds should be healed in a matter of days, if he had simply overdosed on shouki too soon after the near-fatal encounter with Naraku. But if that was true, InuYasha probably wouldn't show so much worry. He seemed to know something that neither she nor Sango did, and if it put the hanyou in such a state, it could only be bad.

Although her curiosity demanded that she ask InuYasha what he knew, part of her told her that Miroku had probably asked him to keep it a secret. And she might not like it, but she felt that Miroku probably had something in mind if he'd trusted the hanyou with some kind of secret.

She would ask him later. Kaede had appeared at the doorway, silently beckoning for whoever saw her to come into the hut. InuYasha was already halfway through the door as Kagome approached.

--

A light breeze blew through the small natural causeway of rock, spreading delicate wrinkles across the shadowed pond of groundwater that covered the floor of the stone tunnel. A pair of glittering red eyes glared down at the disrupted surface of the water as the eyes' owner's reflection was distorted by the ripples.

"That was too close," the figure muttered darkly, low voice resounding off the walls. "It would be unwise to underestimate the monk's abilities at this point." The air crackled for a moment as a scowl spread across the individual's pale, masculine face, and then calmed, a smile replacing the previous frown. "Although, I do believe he is running short on time. He'll have two choices left by then, but after that last display, I think his choice is clear. What do you think?"

The eyes were directed now at a small baby clutching a dark, round stone with a frustrated look on his face. Turning its attention to the figure, the infant seemed only more annoyed at having been consulted. He said nothing, however, and the first figure sighed.

"Ah well. You'll be a part of me again soon enough, though we should be ready for that foolish hanyou to charge after us here any day now. We're leaving."

The baby scowled once more, but didn't make any move to struggle against the tentacles that raised him and carried him out of the cave and into the moonlight. He had no choice in the matter regardless, since his other half – Naraku – had chosen to come reclaim him. Patience was a virtue; he would exact his own plans when the opportunity arose to overtake his stronger half.

* * *

Miroku was asleep on a pallet, a cool cloth on his forehead, chest bared. InuYasha frowned at the monk; he did not like the discolored streaks that covered the monk's chest in the least. Damned if he had to keep this a secret for long; it was pretty obvious that Miroku was in big trouble, and if silence would endanger him any more, then he wasn't going to keep it. He heard Kagome gasp behind him as she too entered the hut. He sighed – he had a feeling she would be asking questions later that he wasn't sure he could answer. For now, though, he hoped that Kaede could offer some alternate excuse as to why the monk looked so battered so he wouldn't have to be put on the spot.

"Those are…" Sango began quietly, with a haunted expression.

"They look like bruises," Kagome said somberly, "and they look like they have the same shape of the shouki wounds he bore before."

InuYasha cast a sharp glance at Kaede, who hadn't said a word since she'd called them into her familiar hut. Her wizened forehead bore worry lines in addition to the many creases she'd gained with age, and he didn't like the somber look on her face. Perhaps the monk had told her as well; at any rate, it was clear that only ill news could come of Miroku's condition at this point. He quietly sat down near the older miko, crossing his arms and stuffing his hands into his sleeves sullenly, knowing full well that he didn't deal well with anything out of his control.

"Kaede-sama, he will be alright… won't he?" Sango's voice trailed off at the end, betraying her doubt in the answer to her own question. The situation was obviously bothering her, and InuYasha could faintly pick up the tangy scent of her fear. He wrinkled his nose.

Kaede sighed, motioning for the two women to come close to sit, then cast a questioning glance to Kouga, who had silently entered the hut and now leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and an indifferent air about him. The wolf youkai merely shook his head, maintaining silently that he would keep on watch by the door. Kaede nodded in acknowledgement before she turned to the others.

"How is he?" Sango asked quietly, her eyes never leaving Miroku's still body.

"I'm sure you can see by now that the Houshi-dono's injuries are indeed serious," the elderly miko said seriously, keeping her voice low. "He is sleeping now, but it did take me some time to get him to fully rest."

InuYasha glanced worriedly at his friend, but quickly covered the expression with a scowl once he realized that Kagome was gauging his reactions. He hated being so transparent when it came to her, and by now she must have figured out that he knew something she didn't.

"The Houshi-dono asked me to relay a message to you, though I regret to do this myself," Kaede continued. "He asked that you continue on without him, as he does not wish to burden you or hold you back while you go after Naraku."

Sango frowned at the relayed words.

"That's just like the bouzu," InuYasha grunted. He glared down at the monk, anger boiling up inside of him the longer he stared at the deep markings. The scent of Miroku's blood wasn't helping his mood, either.

"Are you sure we can't do anything to help him?" Kagome asked. "I could try to find some medicine in my time…"

"That's alright, Kagome," Kaede replied. "The best thing for him to do is to rest."

_No,_ InuYasha thought morosely, _the best thing for him is if we kill that bastard Naraku._

"He's still running a fever," Sango noted quietly, her fingertips gently brushing against Miroku's forehead. InuYasha hadn't even noticed her move to the monk's side. The worry etched into her expression was enough to make the hanyou feel destructive. With an exasperated grunt, he rose to his feet and stomped out of the hut, ignoring the questioning stares aimed at his back.

Once outside, he wandered to the outskirts of the forest nearby. The situation was making him scared for his friend's life, and for the emotional well-being of his female companions because of it. Fear – especially his own – made him furious, and was only aggravated by his helplessness in this case. He was enraged. Something had to give, or he felt as though he would lose control. With a snarl, he struck out at the nearest tree with a tightly-clenched fist, ignoring the pain of the impact and the splinters digging into the skin on his knuckles. Though he could hear Kagome approaching, he still couldn't stop himself. He pulled his self-injured hand back and delivered another angry blow to the tree, the bark of the trunk shuddering and groaning from the blow.

"InuYasha…" she breathed worriedly from behind his back. He stared at the ground, silvery bangs obscured all but his gritted teeth.

"I'm going to fucking _kill_ Naraku," he whispered hoarsely, feeling his own muscles shaking from intense anger.

Behind him, Kagome remained silent, and neither of them moved for a few moments. He couldn't bear to look at her lest she release the strong emotion boiling from within. He heard her sigh shakily and approach, then felt a warm palm upon his back, and then – more surprisingly – her gentle arms circling his waist to embrace him from behind. He could feel the outline of her face pressed against his back, through his haori. In her arms, he could feel the tension slowly bleed from his muscles.

"Kagome…"

"I… I don't want him to die, InuYasha," she said quietly, her voice shaking with upset. The salty tang of her tears stung his sensitive nose. "It isn't fair."

"No, it's not," InuYasha agreed, loosening her arms just long enough for him to turn around and face her. This time, he pulled her tightly into his chest. "We'll find and kill Naraku before that happens. I… I promise."

She nodded against his chest, and he could hear her muffled sigh. For the moment, he reveled in the quiet understanding between the two, knowing that it would soon be broken with questions. Not that he would blame her, however; he would want to know if something was up, were their positions reversed. It didn't make hiding the truth any easier. And it especially didn't ease his strong desire to slowly dismember Naraku at the next chance he got. If InuYasha had anything to say about that, that next chance would come as soon as they confirmed that the old hag could take care of Miroku long enough for him to find the bastard. With no Naraku, there was no curse… and with no curse, Miroku would be cured.

At least, that was what he hoped.

* * *

Sango brushed sweat-matted bangs back lightly from Miroku's pale forehead, removing the damp cloth before placing the back of her hand momentarily across his brow. With a soundless sigh of relief, she noted that his fever was nearly gone. The ugly purple-black markings still worried her, though. She had been left alone with the ailing monk after InuYasha stormed out, followed by Kagome, and shortly after by Kouga. Kaede, seeming to sense her desire to have a few moments alone with Miroku, had pulled Shippou along and had gone to fetch more herbs, for all the good those would do. She wished she could do something to help him, but even her various elixirs and potions seemed useless against injuries that wouldn't even surface. Her inability to help him hurt a lot; she hated seeing the usually strong young man in such a vulnerable condition. It hurt even more that she felt like it was her own fault in this case.

_If I had only been more capable… if I hadn't been so reckless, he wouldn't have had to use his kazaana,_ she thought, the guilt hardening into a painful lump in her chest.

She sighed again as she dipped the cloth back into cold water, leaning over the monk's chest briefly to move his unruly bangs from his forehead so she could replace the cold compress. Halfway through the motion, she halted as she felt a familiar sensation on her backside, fingers massaging into the flesh. She glared down at the monk's face only to find a small self-satisfied smirk toying at the corners of his pale lips.

"Houshi-sama…" she warned in a low voice, clenching a fist, though there really was no venom behind her tone. She couldn't bring herself to hit him, as much as pride demanded it of her.

"How… could I resist such… a temptation?" he said quietly as he slowly opened his eyes. The smirk remained in place; though it lost its playful edge as Sango saw the usually bright sparkle in his eyes was dull with pain and a deep sense of resignation.

It… it really hurt.

"Sango?"

He was watching her worriedly, the smirk long gone, and abruptly Sango realized that she could feel hot tears running down her cheeks. She turned away and wiped at them furiously, but they wouldn't stop. He shouldn't have to see her like this, not when he had his own health to worry about. She couldn't stop them, though, no matter what she did – it hurt so much to see him hiding his own pain.

"Sango…" She heard a rustle of cloth and a quiet hiss, and she turned back to the monk, who was trying to push himself into a sitting position with a grimace.

"Houshi-sama!" she cried, pushing him back down. "Lie back down – you'll only aggravate your injuries!"

He complied with a resigned sigh, but the worried look didn't fade entirely. "You shouldn't worry yourself so much over me," he said quietly, reaching up to brush his fingertips against her cheek. "I'll be fine after I rest."

"Stop it!" she snapped suddenly, and his hand retracted as if stung. "You aren't 'fine' by any means, Houshi-sama. You almost got yourself killed in that last fight, and after you _promised_ me you wouldn't use your kazaana!"

"I… I'm sorry," he whispered, looking away sheepishly. "I just couldn't stand seeing you hurt and being too… helpless to stop it."

"Now you know how I feel!" she exclaimed, feeling her voice shaking. The tears hadn't stopped flowing yet, either.

"I didn't want you to worry…" Miroku tried to reply feebly.

She groaned. "You think I'm not worried now? Look at yourself! Of course I have reason to be worried; you need to stop being so concerned about how we feel, and take care of your own needs once in a while! I'm not a child, Houshi-sama – so please stop treating me like one!"

For a moment, an uncomfortable silence stifled the air between the two in the hut, broken only by her poorly stifled sniffles. She couldn't bear to look at him in this state, and she felt a little guilty for snapping at him, no matter how much he deserved it. But slowly, his hand once more found its way to her face, calloused palm cupping her cheek and bringing her eyes to his solemn face.

"I… I really am sorry," he said apologetically, brushing her tears aside with his thumb. "I sincerely didn't want to see you hurt, but it looks like I really am a fool for thinking that this wasn't going to hurt you as well."

She sniffled as she watched him try to offer her support in his eyes. Deep down, she did know why he always tried to hide things from her. It was horribly noble of him, but at the same time he was right; he truly was a fool. How could he protect her if he was dead? How could he…

With a choked sob, she threw herself down and buried her face into his chest. She felt him relax as his hand came around to her back and held her close.

"I… I'm scared, Miroku," she cried. "I don't want to lose you."

Miroku's embrace tightened around her. She could hear his heart pounding under her ear, and she realized that he was scared, too. It was both calming and horribly frightening, but as she stayed still against him, his heartbeat calmed. Moments flitted by as they drew on each other's feeble comfort, and Sango's sobs finally subsided. When he finally broke the silence, his voice rumbled in his chest comfortingly.

"I promise," he said quietly, voice thick with emotion. "I promise that I will survive this to the best of my abilities, so that we can build a home and grow old together." She tried to sit up and look at his face while he spoke, but he tightened his grip and wouldn't let her. "Will you trust me to keep that promise?"

It was hard, seeing him in the state he was currently in, to accept, but it didn't stop a glimmer of hope from bubbling up in her chest. With a tight nod, she relented. She had to believe in him; she only hoped her added support would be enough to help keep him alive.

* * *

"Houshi-dono?"

Miroku looked up tiredly, peering around the dark tresses of the sleeping taijiya pressed against his chest. The elderly miko nodded knowingly as she came alongside him with her basket of freshly-gathered herbs. The strong scent stung his nose some.

"Asleep?" she whispered. Miroku nodded. "Are you sure you're comfortable like that?"

This time, Miroku smirked. "Let her be," he whispered. "I'll be fine."

Kaede cast him a skeptical look, but then shrugged. "How do you feel?"

"A little better than before," he whispered honestly. The pain along the marks seemed to have dulled some, and his stomach had finally settled down to a point that he thought he might be able to manage eating a little something.

"That's good to hear," she replied, her eyes softening in relief. A short pause, and then solemnly, "Have you told her yet?"

Miroku cast a sharp glance at Sango's face, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she was still asleep. She must have tired herself out while Miroku had been unconscious, and he didn't have the heart to force her to wake up and move. When he looked back at Kaede, he flinched at the scowl he found etched in her wizened face.

"That's not fair to her," she scolded, not for the first time.

He sighed again. "I know," he whispered. "But…"

"_Mirokuuu!_" a high-pitched squeal came from through the bamboo door flap. The childish voice was immediately followed by a chestnut streak as the young kitsune youkai scampered into the hut excitedly. "You're awake!"

Miroku held back a curse as he felt Sango stir under his arm. The moment was broken; as soon as she woke, she would most likely become embarrassed and blame it on him. With a sigh, he shot Shippou a baleful glare. The kitsune seemed to ignore him as he bounded up to the pallet, eyes bright with relief and excitement.

"I'm so glad you're okay! We were all so worried that you weren't going to wake up after that last time with your fever and all, especially Sango 'cause she didn't sleep at all when you—"

Kaede – much to Miroku's relief – shushed the babbling youkai with a quiet hiss, and nodded in Sango's direction. Shippou's mouth formed a small "o," then he offered a sheepish grin and a muttered apology. But when he realized that Sango was nestled against Miroku in her sleep, the grin turned mischievous.

"Don't even think about it," Kaede admonished in a whisper. "Let her sleep; the gods know she needs it."

Shippou's expression fell and he muttered another apology. And with a glare from Miroku, he scowled and added, "Fine, I won't bring it up again. It's just that… Ack! Never mind!" He rubbed his small pointed ear where Kaede had tweaked it. "I won't say a word!"

"Good," Kaede said with a smile. Miroku shot her a grateful glance, to which she nodded. "Now if you wouldn't mind fetching some water, I will start getting supper ready."

Shippou grunted as he took the water bucket out of the hut with him, seeming rather annoyed at having his mischief thwarted. Miroku couldn't have been more grateful, though he knew he should start rousing Sango before the others arrived…

* * *

"No."

"InuYasha, I might be able to find something at home that will at least make him feel more comfortable…"

"I said, _no_. We don't have time to wait on you – we should just go after Naraku now while he's weak."

"You can wait half an hour while I make a _quick run_ back to my house. I know exactly where the medicine cabinet is, thank you very much."

"There's no such thing as a _quick run_ back to your house."

Miroku grimaced. Though the standoff between the pair was incredibly amusing, it would inevitably end badly – probably with hurt feelings and soured tempers. Sango pointedly ignored the squabble as she polished the Hiraikotsu with added attention. Kouga seemed rather interested in the conversation, though InuYasha seemed more irritated at his presence than usual. Perhaps it was because the wolf youkai had never been to Kagome's 'homeland,' and was curious to see what kind of a place she came from.

"InuYasha…"

"I said _no_, damn it! We're leaving now!"

At any rate, the argument was going nowhere. Both InuYasha and Kagome were equally stubborn, especially when dealing with… well, each other.

"Kagome-sama…"

"I promise, it'll take me no time at all!"

"_Fuck_ no."

"Don't make me say it!"

"Kagome-sama…" he tried again, though he recoiled when she shot her venomous glare at him. "I, uh… I'll be fine with Kaede-sama's care. InuYasha is right – you should go after Naraku while he is weakened."

"See? Even the bouzu agrees with me," said Inuyasha, smirking with his impending victory. "We're only wasting time by waiting."

Kagome scowled, but then sighed. "I was only trying to help, but I guess I don't really have a say here." The last comment was blatantly directed at InuYasha, but he ignored her as he grinned triumphantly. "Well, then, when do _you_ want to leave?"

"We should leave now," InuYasha replied. "We can make it several _ri_ from here by the time we have to stop and make camp."

"Do you even know where we're going?" Kagome shot back.

InuYasha glared at her, finally realizing that she was still resisting in her own way. Miroku coughed, trying not to laugh, but his laughter quickly turned to horror as he tasted something coppery in the back of his mouth. Quickly, to cover it up, he covered his mouth with his hand and hastily sipped on the tea he had been given with some rather disgusting herbal concoction earlier in the evening.

"We can head back to where we fought him last, and then I can track his scent from there," InuYasha replied tersely. "He has a pretty distinctive smell."

"It's been days since we were there last, dog-shit," Kouga contributed. "He may have a unique smell, but it's probably faded by now."

"And that is exactly why we should leave _now_, you dumb wolf," InuYasha growled back. "I'm not stupid, you know."

Kouga frowned a bit as he sniffed the air as if to test it. "Oi, monk, you alright?" he asked suddenly.

Miroku choked briefly on his tea, then managed to swallow it and forced a smile. "Fine," he replied hoarsely. "I just swallowed my tea wrong, that's all."

Kouga raised an eyebrow, and Miroku felt his ears grow hot as everyone turned their attention to him. With a weak smile, he waved them off and assured them that he was fine, though he felt rather alarmed by the nasty feeling in his chest. It was as if something large and sticky was stuck in his throat, but he couldn't quite get it out.

InuYasha looked skeptically at the monk before stating, "Let's go. The sooner we find Naraku and kill him, the better."

_He already knew,_ Miroku noted as he caught InuYasha's intense stare. _That's why he was so anxious to leave…_

The wolf was already on his way out of the hut, and Kagome shot one furious glare at the hanyou before she looked at Miroku apologetically. He smiled and nodded in acknowledgement, letting her know that she had no need to be sorry for anything. She picked up her backpack, and then also slipped out of the hut, followed closely by Shippou.

"You be careful, Bouzu," InuYasha warned on his way out. "You'd better be alive when we come back, you got that?"

Before Miroku could reply, the hanyou was already out the door. Sango sighed as she picked up her weapon, then looked down with a torn expression at Miroku. He could tell that she would much rather stay with him than leave him in his current state, but he knew that it wouldn't really do him any good. This was a battle he alone had to fight.

"Houshi-sama…"

"Go, Sango," he said quietly. "I won't take back my promise."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she nodded. "I won't forgive you if you break it, either," she replied softly. And then she too was gone.

Miroku sighed, now that he was left alone with Kaede in the hut. The elderly miko shot him a wary glance, and he knew what question was coming. This time, he couldn't suppress the nasty cough that rose in his throat before she could ask. She quickly brought an empty wooden bucket to him, and he spat out the nasty thing that had been lingering in his throat for far too long.

"Ugh," he managed, taking another sip of tea to try to cut the taste from his mouth. He refused to look.

Kaede looked at him seriously. "Houshi-dono…"

"I know," he replied quietly.

"Drink more of this tea; it may be just a remnant from before," she suggested.

Miroku frowned. "I suppose it doesn't matter much." Kaede remained silent, and he sighed again. He was doing that a lot lately. If he was to keep up such a pessimist's perspective on the whole ordeal, perhaps he wasn't fit to keep the promise he made to Sango. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "I guess I'm just feeling like I'm hiding from my own problem… and it's making me feel guilty to have _them_ –" he indicated the hut door, "taking my revenge for me."

"You've done enough, Houshi-dono," Kaede said gently. "Just let them. You've got enough on your hands; time is short."

Miroku stared down into the tea cup with a dark expression. As much as he would like to accept Kaede's comfort, he had a horrible feeling that he was fighting a battle he could never win, especially given that the issue had just been neatly removed from his hands. Kaede must have understood him, for when she broke the silence again, she gave him a serious look.

"Let it go, monk. You're going to have to trust them."

_Let it go,_ he repeated. _As if it's that easy._

But he would fight anyway, since he _had_ made a promise. Several, in fact. And as long as his friends were fighting for him, he was sure he could fight his own battles as well. All the same, it didn't keep him from hoping fervently that they hurried. He was selfish, in the end – selfish and stubborn. That was one thing that Naraku would never be able to break him of.

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_**.end chapter 2.**_

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_I would like once again to thank Varethane for beta reading this for me. She did an awesome job, and I only wish I'd had a better chapter to send her in the first place. Present mistakes are my own and not hers._

_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this so far! As always, comments and feedback are much appreciated._


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